Babe the Blue OX – “Dragging the Joneses (Down to My Level)” (MP3) (PopMatters Premiere)

Babe the Blue OX were one of the first Brooklyn indie rock trendsetters, creating their early work in a part of town that was still a long way off from “Hipsterville”. With a beginning in 1990, the Williamsburg-based group of Tim Thomas (guitar, vocals), Rose Thomson (bass, vocals) and Hanna Fox (drums, vocals) packed NYC clubs and created a surprising musical mix that was very nearly impossible to categorize. Of course, the band wanted it that way as they drew from disparate influences such as Captain Beefheart, the Minutemen and Prince — three other artists that are hard to place in a single genre box. Now, Babe the Blue OX has returned with their official sixth full-length LP, Guilty, which released earlier this month. Today, we bring you the premiere of the album’s first track, “Dragging the Joneses (Down to My Level)”, a tune about getting older and dissatisfaction.

TRACK LIST

01: Draggin the Joneses

02: I-35

03: Mal Madre

04: N.O.W.

05: Innumeracy

06: Estate Planning

07: God’s Hands

08: Self-Evident

09: Panning for Sand (bonus track)

10: Last Stop Or. . .(bonus track)

11: Down By the Riverbank (bonus track)

12: D Boon (bonus track)